New York state posted a record-breaking increase in coronavirus deaths for a third consecutive day even as a surge of patients in overwhelmed hospitals slowed, while isolation-weary residents were warned Thursday the crisis was far from over.
The number of deaths rose by 799 to more than 7,000. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described the death count as a lagging indicator reflecting the loss of people sickened earlier in the outbreak.
The snapshot of hospitalizations shows a less dire picture. The net 200-patient increase in hospitalizations “is the lowest number we’ve had since this nightmare started,” Cuomo said, and compares with daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.